Donnelly sets sights on a promotion push

For Fermanagh captain, Eoin Donnelly promotion is the only game in town as Fermanagh embark on their league campaign with a home fixture against Wexford in Brewster Park this Sunday.
The game gets underway at 2pm and is the first of two home fixtures in a row for the Ernemen.
“I think if you have ambition and you are in Division Three then you have to be looking at the top of the table and pushing for promotion and that is certainly what we will be looking to do,” Donnelly stated.
Speaking early in the week the Coa man admitted that attention was just turning towards Wexford and that the Leinster men posed a serious test to Fermanagh’s ambitions;
“To be honest I don’t know too much about them because the league has come so quickly after the McKenna Cup.
“We will be looking at them this week and seeing what they are about. It has been a few years since we played them and like ourselves, they will no doubt have some new players on board and they have always been a dangerous side so we will have to be ready for it.”
Under new manager, Rory Gallagher, Fermanagh enjoyed a productive McKenna Cup campaign reaching the semi-final where they lost 0-08 to 0-04 against Tyrone in a tough uncompromising game and the Erne skipper believes that the pre-season competition will stand he and his team-mates in good stead for their tilt for promotion;
“Not only did we get competitive games but they were also against Division One teams. And while some teams may have been missing some players they are still opposition that are used to playing at a high level and that can only help us going into the league,” Donnelly said.
The big midfielder admitted that the fixtures have been kind to the team with four of their seven games at home and he revealed that a good start, with their first two fixtures at home, is going to be vital to their season;
“This year we have four home games which is different for us.
“We seem to usually have four away games so that is a big plus for us. Not only is it good to play at home because of the support but also it is a major bonus in terms of cutting down travelling and the mental fatigue that is associated with that.
“It is important now that we start off well and get some good results at home and set us up for the season ahead.”
This year sees the league start earlier with the GAA’s ambition to shorten the inter-county season being rolled out and for Donnelly the change gets the thumbs up;
“I think for players the earlier start to the league is good. I think it is important that the season is condensed and we are going from match to match which players like.
“Maybe managers might think differently as they might want a bit more time to plan and have a look at teams and see where they are at themselves but for the players, it suits to get stuck in straight away.”
There is no doubt a lot of optimism among the Fermanagh faithful that 2018 can be a good year for the county and Donnelly revealed that within the Erne camp there is a real feel-good factor at present;
“There is a good buzz around the squad. We have a lot of new players in and they bring a real enthusiasm. We have a mix of younger players and maybe players who are nearing the end of their careers too so everyone is motivated by different things,” the Fermanagh captain stated, before going on to talk about the impetus brought to the table by a new managerial appointment;
“And if you add in the new manager with new ideas there is freshness there as well. And I think no matter who the manager is if they are there for a few years certain players can think that they are not going to get game time but with a new manager everyone looks at it as a chance to impress and stake a claim for a place.”
The visit of Wexford represents a real chance for Fermanagh to get their league campaign off to a perfect start and while the Leinster side will travel full of optimism of causing an upset the pre-season work and home advantage should be enough to see the Erne men get the win and the two points on the board.

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